BP from 35-40 feet is a waste of time?

quote:

Originally posted by 1BDad:
So says a DII baseball coach. quote "if you're hitting bp with someone throwing to you from 35 - 40 feet you're wasting your time" "you'll never be able to hit the change up like that."

This is November...not spring.

I think that's a bit out there, wondering what other folks might think....

Just about every baseball program that I have seen throws a lot of BP from a shorter distance. Trying to get as many reps in as possible within a certain amount of time. You can work on a myriad of other things during BP if the CU is of a concern.

What is his rationale for saying that?

It may well be a waste of time from his perspective because of reasons others don’t prioritize the same way.

He must be a "defensive minded" kind of coach. I throw BP at that distance and so do my sons HS coaches. It means more, accurate pitches meaning more swings, plus simulating a faster speed due to the decreased reaction time. I won't/wouldn't stop doing doing it. A good patient hitter will still hit the change up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJyY1Q3FaJ4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...OVDw&feature=related

I'm with Redbird... I'd need to know the context of the bigger conversation. Obviously, this is something that is done across every level with some regularity, including pre-game for most HS, college and pro ball. Any college coach knows that. There must be something missing. Maybe he was talking about a specific type of hitting work such as reading pitch types. But who knows... I know son has gone through periods where he doesn't like front toss because it is being delivered underhand from a low release point - "not like real pitches".

Kind of like to know what school that coach is at. May want to avoid it.

Hmm, a DII Coach that doesn't understand the "purpose" of BP? That's concerning.

I'm wondering what kind of a cannon arm he has that can go out there and throw 500 pitches per day at 60 feet at a reasonable velocity....wow robo arm. Something does not add up here.

I can understand that 35 to 40' BP does very little for helping to time pitches, especially for helping to time offspeed pitches.

However, that isn't the purpose. The purpose is to get reps at roughly the same reaction time as game pitching. You certainly sacrifice the part about the approach velocity of the pitches, i.e. how far from the plate the ball is when the swing starts but it still helps.

Ideally, one wants to also get full distance BP with, at times, off speed pitches mixed in both knowing the pitch is coming and not knowing the pitch is coming.

Setting up effective BP sessions for an entire team without destroying arms is one of the most challenging tasks for coaches and that shorter distance BP can be one tool in the arsenal.

In the end, I'm guessing it was one of those "I'm smarter than the rest of you." statements more than something he really meant.

When I pitched BP for the SF Giants, I pitched from 45"and it was "scary", however the Giants hitters were happy for my accuracy to develop their hitting "flow".

Jack Clark was the hitter with the fastest bat.
Mike Ivie had the best eye and force me to throw down the middle.

Bob

I've thrown BP from 45-50 feet most of my life. Some of the teams I've coached were some of the top teams in the nation with a couple of state championships and a 64 game winning streak. He's full of bunk.

quote:

Originally posted by Bob Williams:
When I pitched BP for the SF Giants, I pitched from 45"and it was "scary", however the Giants hitters were happy for my accuracy to develop their hitting "flow".

Jack Clark was the hitter with the fastest bat.
Mike Ivie had the best eye and force me to throw down the middle.

Bob

Of course BOB, that's the point.

BP at shorter distances replicates reaction times at regular distance/speed. Then you warm up and tune your hitting system(s) into the desirable rhythm for the game. It's more visual, timing and feel in those sessions. The serious stuff of working on hitting breaking balls, correcting mechanical issues, etc, are done earlier, not at pre-game BP. Most hitters don't want or expect off speed pitches to be mixed in as they work on rhythm and timing.

quote:

Originally posted by Prime9:

quote:

Originally posted by Bob Williams:
When I pitched BP for the SF Giants, I pitched from 45"and it was "scary", however the Giants hitters were happy for my accuracy to develop their hitting "flow".

Jack Clark was the hitter with the fastest bat.
Mike Ivie had the best eye and force me to throw down the middle.

Bob

Of course BOB, that's the point.

BP at shorter distances replicates reaction times at regular distance/speed. Then you warm up and tune your hitting system(s) into the desirable rhythm for the game. It's more visual, timing and feel in those sessions. The serious stuff of working on hitting breaking balls, correcting mechanical issues, etc, are done earlier, not at pre-game BP. Most hitters don't want or expect off speed pitches to be mixed in as they work on rhythm and timing.

Agreed! Mechanics should be worked on off a tee, then off soft toss. BP is not a time to try to impress your buddies by hitting homers. Focus on hitting line drives to the opposite field.

Anybody who says BP at a shorter distance isn't helpful is an idiot. That's the truth, plain and simple.

quote:

Originally posted by 1BDad:
So says a DII baseball coach. quote "if you're hitting bp with someone throwing to you from 35 - 40 feet you're wasting your time" "you'll never be able to hit the change up like that."

This is November...not spring.

I think that's a bit out there, wondering what other folks might think....

Can you give us a more detailed description of the conversation? At face value of what you put I think the guy is an idiot. But I find it hard to believe a DII baseball coach would say this without there being some sort of other part of the message that's being left out.

When Tom Haller, my friend was the GM of the SF Giants he invited me to at clinic with Joe Morgan.

I was impressed with 2 points.
1.Base stealing ; Joe said :I can talk about this for 5 minutes or 5 hours.

2. Hitting - Joe Morgan in the early Spring and late in the season when he believe his bat was slow. He asked the BP pitcher to be at 30'.

When I visited the Japan HS training sessions, this was in the training sessions.

When I faced Bob Gibson and Jack Sanford it was the same "REACTION"! and pray!

Bob